• The kits contain all the equipment you will need for blood sampling groups of livestock from what you need on-farm right through to postage. The kits contain the following:
  • Vacutainer blood tubes
  • Vacuette needles and a needle holder corresponding to the number of tubes to ensure biosecurity between samples.
  • A polystyrene lidded tube holder for organisation of tubes on-farm and during transport
  • An absorbent pad for any leakage during transport
  • A self-sealing bag to contain the polystyrene box
  • A cardboard sleeve for packaging the sample for postage with space for scribing farm details and the address of the laboratory.
  • A security seal to ensure the samples are tamper-proof.

Vet field kits are used for blood sampling livestock on a herd and flock level. They allow whole herd/ flock sampling to be carried out in an efficient and organised way. The kit is designed so that as soon as the blood sampling session is complete on-farm, the samples can be posted.

Yes. All our Vet-Way field kits comply with all UN Category B transport requirements meaning they are ready for posting as soon as they are sealed.

Each blood tube has its own unique bar code sticker. The stickers are in two halves so one half can be peeled off to be assigned to an ear tag number on the laboratory paperwork. The remaining half left on the tube then corresponds to the code on the paperwork.

This practical solution means that you do not have to write directly on the tube. Blood sampling livestock is not always the cleanest task so writing on tubes can be somewhat impractical. Our stickers are also wipeable to allow tubes to be cleaned before posting.

Needle choice is usually the practitioner’s preference. For most cattle, sheep, and young pig blood sampling, the 20g 1-inch needle is suitable. For larger pigs, the 18g 1.5inch needle may be more suitable.

The tube used depends on the test and laboratory that you are sending it too. Most serological tests require a red top tube. However, some laboratories now prefer to use our gold top tubes. Most biochemistry tests require a green top tube.

Yes. The samples will be protected for the whole of the transport chain. Not only does our polystyrene tube holding box provide physical protection for the blood samples, but it also provides protection against extremes in temperature which could haemolyse the samples. The layers of packaging also protect from leakage. The absorbent pad within the polystyrene box acts as the first line of defence against any leaks from tubes. The sealant bag prevents any leakage contamination outside of the box.

To assemble the needle holder, simply remove the grey-covered end to reveal a rubber-covered needle. Screw this end into the needle holder so that the yellow end stands out from the needle holder. Remove the yellow lid to expose the needle.

The tubes act as a vacuum so it is really important not to remove the lid of the tube. Venipuncture should be performed before pushing the lidded end of the tube into the rubber-covered needle in the holder. If the needle is successfully placed within the vessel, blood will begin to draw into the tube. If blood does not draw into the tube, the needle must be redirected to gain access into the blood vessel. To maintain the vacuum within the tube, it is important that you do not remove the needle from the skin with the tube still in place as this will blow the vacuum. If the needle needs to be removed, pull the tube from the needle before removing the needle from the skin to maintain the vacuum within the tube.